This mental health awareness week we spoke to Tristan Drummond, a 21 year old Head coach of Wrightway sports, semi-professional footballer, co-founder, and co-director of Brotherhood-Uk and a final year university student studying Sport and Psychology . This is what he had to say about making your health a priority.
As a university student in my final year, a head coach and a semi-professional footballer, I am a busy person; however, I think it is incredibly important to incorporate exercise and movement into my everyday routine. Over many years of developing my daily routine, I now have non-negotiables that are not only beneficial for my physiological health but also my psychological health. From an ice bath and a stretching session every morning, to making sure I go to the gym and include cardio in my day; this may be as simple as completing 5,000 steps.
Why exercise?
Exercise makes you feel great; a range of studies on the topic have shown how exercising encourages a slow dopamine release (the happiness chemical in our brains), throughout the day. Whether it’s a five-minute walk in the morning to get some sun or a marathon; your body and mind will thank you afterwards. There are a wide arrange of studies into exercise and mental health; recent research has found that people who exercise regularly have better mental health and emotional wellbeing alongside having a lower risk of developing a mental illness.
Where do I start?
In my opinion, it’s important to put yourself first, if you keep your body and mind healthy this will not only benefit you in other aspects of life, such as work and family, but will give you a chance to prove to yourself how amazing your mind and body are. If you are struggling to incorporate exercise or movement into your day, try starting with little habits that you can then habit stack. For example, you may start on day one taking your dog for a ten-minute walk then each week try walk another minute. In no time you will be walking for an hour every day, getting your sunlight dose and feeling more productive overall.
What else helps my mind and body?
Exercise, as previously mentioned will benefit other factors of your life: I play football and after being injured for a week with limited mobility, I realised not only my mental health declined but I also struggled to sleep and started to eat without caring what I put into my body. Exercise is part of an important circle in life, it’s important to ensure every factor is being considered, to ensure you are firing on all cylinders; this may be eating whole foods, reducing the amount you drink or getting eight hours sleep every night.
Do I have to be healthy all the time?
The main thing is look after yourself, you only get one body and one brain. Be mindful in how you treat it. If you had a car that you had to have for the rest of your life, how would you treat it? It’s the same for your body; do things in moderation, have a bar of chocolate, have a glass of wine but don’t overdo it, go to the gym, but make sure you rest your body. After all, if you don’t look after you, who will?